Federal Scandals Should Teach Liberals About Limited Government

The recent government scandals are an opportunity for Republicans to show their liberal friends why trust in the Government to solve their problems may not be a foolproof plan. Liberals are constantly extolling the virtues of government to solve our problems and administer needed benefits fairly. It is a belief in this view of government that led most liberals to enthusiastically support the Affordable Care Act, (a.k.a. Obamacare).

The narrative for this view is as follows: Companies are hungry for money and profit and therefore suffer from leadership with improper motives. This leads corporations to abuse employees, cheat customers and destroy the ozone layer, polar bears and small puppies. Since the corporations are rich, this endows them with power to control everything and everyone with the exception of liberal politicians. Republican politicians are especially subject to control.

The government on the other hand, is not subject to this corruption because it is not operating for a profit and it’s purpose is to serve the people. So liberals are always trying to endow government agencies with the power to make everyone’s life perfect, which usually includes taking money from corporations and people who work for corporations and giving it to people who don’t.

In the last few weeks, this view of reality has come into violent collision with reality. The reality of government is this. Governments have far more power than corporations. It is government laws that create, regulate and tax corporations. If corporations do not pay their taxes, the government will send government employees with guns to take it and escort tax evaders to prison. Government employees may not have stock options, but they still have a pay check and that is an economic incentive. Also, the ability to define and enforce regulations gives government employees the incentive of power. In addition, it is in the interest of the civil employees to make sure the government grows and provides them employment.

So here is a question for our liberal friends who believe in the benevolence of government. What do you make of the revelations that the IRS used its vast powers of intimidation to coerce and delay groups based on their political beliefs? What do you make of a government that left U.S. citizens unprotected in Benghazi with no credible explanation of why? What do you make of a government in which the Justice Department is investigating members of the national press for trying to learn about a big news story? What do you make of a government that has to be sued to allow a little girl to receive a lung transplant? Is this really the sort of organization that you want making your medical decisions?

The reality is that governments have often been the cause of much human pain and suffering throughout history. The data of history says that mistrust of governments is a rational position. This is why the founding fathers devised the system of divided government. They understood that ultimately men cannot be trusted to always make wise benevolent decisions whether they have the power of wealth or they power to govern.

So ask your liberal friends: Do you still think we should trust bigger government to make our lives better?